I was recently at the state volleyball tournament in Yakima, Wash., for the 1A state title game. I traveled on a "rooter bus" with some of the students from the school. They had been such a supportive crowd all year, getting dressed up in crazy outfits and always being loud and supportive to our girls' team, which finished 4th in state. The volleyball team thinks that the fans had a lot to do about their success. That day, as I was watching our student body, who were dressed in crazy costumes and face paint, cheering as one, I got an image in my mind. What if. . . What if that was how we were to worship God and spread the Good News about what He has done?

Hockey Chat:  There are many players who are great in there own mind.  They lead the team in ice time because they won’t line change.  They lead the team in goals but have zero assists.  They don’t have any penalty minutes because they never bother to play defense.

Everyone has a bad day once in awhile. Even the greatest athletes struggle from day to day. A common phrase in baseball is "pick-me-up." This is said when a particular player needs a boost in spirit. And, truth be told, we all need a "pick-me-up" occasionally.

When I played college football, our coach insisted that we wear our helmets from the moment we left the locker room until the end of the game. We were only allowed to remove our helmets during half-time while in the locker room. He was adamant that our helmets stay on during the course of the game. I always complied, but thought this demand was a little excessive. Everyone understands the merits of wearing a helmet during competition, but few would understand the necessity of wearing one otherwise.

There are so many qualities needed in order to have the heart of a champion: discipline, perseverance, dedication, endurance, focus, and the ability to overcome any obstacle. We all admire heroes who have made it to the top and have accomplished their goals and become champions. They have displayed the heart to withstand and endure to become great. But the more I understand greatness and what it takes to become successful, the more I see that there is one thing everyone must have to become a true champion—and that is a coach.

Hockey Chat:  When a goalie is said to “Stand on his head” that means he’s making great saves for the team.  This may have been derived after NHL President Frank Calder, referencing the 1918 rules change that allowed goalies to fall down to make a save, remarked, "They could stand on their head, if they wanted to."  Basically it means they are giving their all to stop pucks.